František Janeček
Encyclopedia
František Janeček was the founder of Jawa motorcycles and an important figure in the development of the Czech motorcycle industry. He died on 4 June 1941.
in the present-day Czech Republic
. He went to Prague
to study mechanics at the Prague Technical School and then moved to Germany
to the Berlin College of Engineering.
Upon graduation he returned to Prague and began working for the Jewish industrialist Emil Kolben
at the Kolben company. He did well and when he was only 23 he was appointed manager of the new factory opened by Kolben in Holland, where he met his future wife. He was hit by a car when riding his bicycle to work. The daughter of the driver gave him first aid, and they became friends and later married.
When Janeček was 31 he opened his own engineering workshops in Prague.
in World War I
Janeček experienced a prolific period of designing and inventing and secured over sixty new patents, including a design for an improved hand grenade
The grenade, named Model 21, became the standard hand grenade of the Czechoslovak army, and was nicknamed the "Janeček".
manufacturing company. He drew on his knowledge of engineering and his experience with factory mass production techniques and based his new motorcycle designs around an existing 498cc engine made by a German company called Wanderer. The new company was named JAWA in 1929, a compound of the first two letters of Janeček and Wanderer.
Janeček first began producing Wanderer motorcycles under license in 1927 in order to diversify the interests of his arms factory. His first motorcycle has a number of advanced features, including shift-drive and a steel frame. He was able to recruit an experienced British motorcycle designer George William Patchett
and together they developed a range of competition motorcycles to promote the new Jawa brand. In the 1930's Janeček expanded the range to include lightweight economy models based around British Villiers
two-stroke engines, as well as middleweight 350cc side valve and overhead valve motorcycles under the Jawa brand (e.g. Jawa 350
).
was occupied by Nazi Germany
in 1938 Janeček was forced to turn his factory over to the occupying command and it was used to produce German aircraft engines and generators. He continued to work in secret on the development of single cylinder two stroke motorcycles and the production was restarted following the end of the war.
František Janeček died on 4 June 1941 and the Jawa company was then taken over by his son Karel Janeček.
was a device that could be fitted on to the British QF 2 pounder
(40 mm) anti-tank gun. It was used to extend the service life of the 2-pounder during WWII by converting it to squeeze bore operation. "Littlejohn" came from the literal anglicization of František Janeček's name.
Early life
Janeček was born on 23 January 1878 in Klášter nad Dědinou, a small village in BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
in the present-day Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. He went to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
to study mechanics at the Prague Technical School and then moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to the Berlin College of Engineering.
Upon graduation he returned to Prague and began working for the Jewish industrialist Emil Kolben
Emil Kolben
Emil Kolben was an engineer and entrepreneur from Bohemia in the Czech Republic. The large engineering company ČKD bears his name. He died in the concentration camp Theresienstadt.- Biography :...
at the Kolben company. He did well and when he was only 23 he was appointed manager of the new factory opened by Kolben in Holland, where he met his future wife. He was hit by a car when riding his bicycle to work. The daughter of the driver gave him first aid, and they became friends and later married.
When Janeček was 31 he opened his own engineering workshops in Prague.
World War I
After serving on the Italian frontItalian Campaign (World War I)
The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol , the...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Janeček experienced a prolific period of designing and inventing and secured over sixty new patents, including a design for an improved hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
The grenade, named Model 21, became the standard hand grenade of the Czechoslovak army, and was nicknamed the "Janeček".
Motorcycle development
Janeček saw an opportunity in 1927 to turn a former armament factory into a motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
manufacturing company. He drew on his knowledge of engineering and his experience with factory mass production techniques and based his new motorcycle designs around an existing 498cc engine made by a German company called Wanderer. The new company was named JAWA in 1929, a compound of the first two letters of Janeček and Wanderer.
Janeček first began producing Wanderer motorcycles under license in 1927 in order to diversify the interests of his arms factory. His first motorcycle has a number of advanced features, including shift-drive and a steel frame. He was able to recruit an experienced British motorcycle designer George William Patchett
George William Patchett
-Career:In his early career he was a motor cycle racer for motorcycle manufacturers such as Brough Superior, McEvoy and the Belgian arms company FN. At Pendine, Wales he won the Welsh TT in 1925 and the Welsh TT sidecar in 1927 on Brough machines....
and together they developed a range of competition motorcycles to promote the new Jawa brand. In the 1930's Janeček expanded the range to include lightweight economy models based around British Villiers
Villiers
-Places:In Canada* Villiers, Ontario, a small settlement near PeterboroughIn France* Villiers, Indre, in the Indre département* Villiers, Vienne, in the Vienne département* Villiers-Adam, in the Val-d'Oise département...
two-stroke engines, as well as middleweight 350cc side valve and overhead valve motorcycles under the Jawa brand (e.g. Jawa 350
Jawa 350
The Jawa 350 is a classic motorcycle, formerly produced by Jawa Motors in Czechoslovakia until 1992 and in the Czech Republic from 1993 until the end of production...
).
World War II
When CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
was occupied by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in 1938 Janeček was forced to turn his factory over to the occupying command and it was used to produce German aircraft engines and generators. He continued to work in secret on the development of single cylinder two stroke motorcycles and the production was restarted following the end of the war.
František Janeček died on 4 June 1941 and the Jawa company was then taken over by his son Karel Janeček.
Littlejohn adaptor
The Littlejohn adaptorLittlejohn adaptor
The Littlejohn adaptor was a device that could be added to the British QF 2 pounder anti-tank gun. It was used to extend the service life of the 2-pounder during the Second World War by converting it to squeeze bore operation...
was a device that could be fitted on to the British QF 2 pounder
Ordnance QF 2 pounder
The Ordnance QF 2-pounder was a British anti-tank and vehicle-mounted gun, employed in the Second World War. It was actively used in the Battle of France, and during the North Africa campaign...
(40 mm) anti-tank gun. It was used to extend the service life of the 2-pounder during WWII by converting it to squeeze bore operation. "Littlejohn" came from the literal anglicization of František Janeček's name.